Overweight and diabetes

Diabetes is one of our major diseases. Many people get it unknowingly. The importance of a varied and light diet and exercise in the fight against the onset of diabetes is undeniable.

In diabetes, the blood sugar level becomes too high. If left untreated, too high blood sugar will damage e.g. blood vessels, heart, eyes, kidneys and nerves. Diabetes is also associated with high blood cholesterol levels, high blood pressure, a blood clotting disorder and a low-grade inflammatory condition throughout the body. So diabetes is much more than “just” diabetes.

Some of the most worrying patients I have seen have been diabetics. There is no cheering in the quality of life if the legs are amputated, there is a bed ulcer in the buttocks that goes into the back of the football and a hospital bacterium that is difficult to treat grows in the wound. Fortunately, the patient himself may not see the horror, as he may be nearly blind. But the wounds feel uncomfortable and there may be ghost pains in the leg stump. It stings and is missing even where there is nothing left. Kidney destruction is the real nuisance as it has to be dragged into dialysis 3 times a week for artificial kidney treatment to survive.

There are a lot of diabetics

Fortunately, this does not happen to all diabetics. Yet diabetes is, in my opinion, one of our most significant public diseases. And a much more serious threat to the health of our people than is understood. According to the Diabetes Association's website, there are about 50,000 type 1 diabetics and about 400,000 type 2 diabetics in Finland. In addition, at least ten thousand people suffer from type 2 diabetes without knowing it.

The number of people with diabetes is projected to increase in the future as the population continues to gain weight. The figures are also influenced by improved diagnosis, an aging population and longer life expectancy.

Type 1 diabetes

Type 1 diabetes is most commonly diagnosed before adulthood. Therefore, it was previously called youth-type diabetes. In this form of diabetes, the pancreas becomes ill and is no longer able to produce the insulin that the body needs. Therefore, insulin should always be injected (perhaps in the next few years the insulin can be given, for example, by inhalation). Diet and exercise are naturally an important part of treatment.

The mechanism of type 1 diabetes is not fully understood and therefore cannot be prevented. A small proportion of the disease is hereditary, and environmental exposures such as viral infections and nutritional factors in early childhood are suspected to be the cause.

Type 2 diabetes

The majority of diabetics are of the second type. In the past, children or adolescents almost never developed type 2 diabetes, but now, with the increase in obesity, this form of diabetes has also been found in younger generations. Up to 70-90% of type 2 diabetes could be avoided if the people remained at a normal weight. Some type 2 diabetes is hereditary - probably in part because obesity is also inherited.

In early stage 2 diabetes, the effect of insulin is reduced in muscle, liver and adipose tissue. At this stage, the treatment is tablets. Later, insulin secretion from the pancreas also decreases, necessitating insulin injections. At all stages, weight loss, exercise, and healthy eating habits are the best treatments for type 2 diabetes.

Gestational diabetes

Pregnancy may predispose to diabetes and being overweight is one of the major predisposing factors for gestational diabetes. Of all births in 2017, 17% were obese before the onset of pregnancy (BMI ≥ 30). Blood and / or urinary glucose levels of expectant mothers are monitored regularly. According to THL's statistics, in 2019, almost 21% of births had an abnormal glucose test and 19.1% of births were diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Gestational diabetics are more likely to develop type 2 diabetes later on. The outbreak can be stopped by moving and avoiding overweight.

Pre-diabetes

It takes years for diabetes to develop. The Dehko 2D project, which aims to prevent type 2 diabetes, looked at previously healthy Finns aged 45-74, and found that as many as 20-25% had pre-diabetes. If the onset of impaired glucose metabolism is detected in time and treated, diabetes may not break out. Even those who are already ill can control their disease with topical treatment.

Were you worried?

Diabetes is not to be feared, but it is to be humbled. The onset of diabetes is preceded by a long, asymptomatic period that lasts for years. Therefore, if you are over 40 years of age, have a body mass index close to or greater than 30, and if your waist circumference is more than 90 cm (women) / more than 100 cm (men), then risk factors for diabetes should be examined. Especially if you already have symptoms, fatigue (especially after eating to sleep), thirst and increased urination, a health check should be done.

The screening includes, for example, family history, weight, waist circumference, blood sugar, long-term sugar (hemoglobin A1c, HbA1c), cholesterol, blood pressure, and heart health (including cardiac film).

So take good care of yourself: exercise every day and eat nutritious but light food. This is how you avoid diabetes.